A rich heritage of Irish storytelling

Irish stories. Image copyright Ireland Calling

Ireland has a rich heritage of storytelling … and its long and sometimes troubled history has provided plenty of material. There are folk tales and fairy stories dating back over thousands of years. There are stories of saints and sinners, heroes and villains, victory and defeat, sacrifice and betrayal…and some great and often heartbreaking love stories.

Here we try to tell some of the best of these stories.

Love stories – from the ancient legends of Tristan and Isolde to modern tragedy of Joseph Plunkett and Grace Gifford.